Do you want 2020 to be the year you embrace a new and improved smile? Maybe you’re tired of the stains, discoloration, chips, or cracks and are ready to take the next step in your oral health journey. If so, hear from a cosmetic dentist who shares which treatments are available that can fully transform the aesthetic of your smile, giving you the look you desire as you start the new year.
What Should You Do First to Improve Your Smile?
You know you want a healthier, more aesthetically pleasing smile, but in order to achieve the transformation you desire, your dentist explains there are a few necessary improvements that must first be addressed. If you suffer from tooth decay or gum disease, it’s important that these oral health problems be fixed before moving forward with cosmetic treatment.
Why?
The reason is that no matter how you cover your cosmetic flaws, the natural tooth still exists and if disease or decay exists, it can put you at risk for losing that particular tooth. This can lead to expensive repairs and additional time fixing the original problem. It’s best to take care of any initial dental concerns prior to receiving your new smile.
If tooth decay or a cavity is present, the infection can reach the inner layer of the tooth (the pulp), resulting in a root canal or tooth extraction depending on the severity of the decay. If gum disease has spread beneath the gum line and is causing bone or tooth loss, it is imperative that you seek periodontal therapy as a way to encourage the gum tissue to reattach to your teeth and keep infection and inflammation out.
By taking care of these problems first, you can enjoy your dramatically new smile for longer.
What Cosmetic Treatments Are Available?
If you want to kickstart 2020 with a show-stopping smile, you can find a variety of cosmetic solutions available at your local dentist’s office. Some of these treatments include:
- Porcelain Veneers: These ultra-thin ceramic shells are bonded to the front of your teeth to hide imperfections (i.e. chips, cracks, stains, gaps, misshapen teeth, undersized teeth, crooked teeth). Whether you want one or an entire set, you’ll love the results.
- Metal-Free Dental Restorations: Instead of reaching for traditional amalgam restorations, your cosmetic dentist uses metal-free dental restorations to restore the function and aesthetics of your smile. From fillings to dental inlays, onlays, bridges, crowns, and implants, the materials are strong, durable, and can easily replicate tooth enamel to create a natural-looking restoration.
- Teeth Whitening: Using Custom whitening trays, Opalescence take-home kits and Sheer Whitening Strips, you can watch your smile go from dull and yellow to bright and white in no time at all. The professional-grade whitening gel penetrates the enamel’s surface and blasts away deep-down stains.
- Dental Bonding: Whether you have minor chips, gaps, or stains on your teeth, dental bonding uses composite resin to bond to your tooth enamel and cover the imperfection. Applying it directly to your tooth, your dentist will shape and sculpt it before bonding it into place. This painless procedure can last several years with proper care.
Since your dental insurance benefits renew at the start of the new year, there’s no better time to get started with treatment, so contact your dental team today to find out which cosmetic solution is right for you!
About the Author
Drs. Travis and Christel Cochell are a husband and wife team who own and operate Cochell Family Dentistry in Salem, Oregon. Offering a variety of cosmetic dentistry services, including porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, metal-free dental restorations, and dental bonding, they possess an artistic ability to transform smiles into something beautiful. To learn more about how these services can help you, contact us at (503) 585-8688.